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Rebuilding a national artery: behind the technology powering Ghana's Eastern Corridor upgrade. April 27, 2026 Updated April 27, 2026 The reconstruction of the Ashaiman Roundabout to Akosombo Junction section of Ghana's Eastern Corridor is more than just a road upgrade; it is the renewal of a strategic national artery that will help improve local mobility and stimulate economic growth. Stretching across 63.7 kilometers, the project forms a vital connection between the Port of Tema and the northern regions, supporting the movement of goods deep into the country and onward to Burkina Faso. With a contract exceeding €256 million, the scheme stands as one of the most significant infrastructure investments currently underway in West Africa, and its successful delivery will shape mobility and commerce for decades to come. Delivering major infrastructure renewal. The reconstruction of the Ashaiman Roundabout-Akosombo Junction section of the Eastern Corridor is technically demanding. The route's key role as the primary connection between the Port of Tema and the northern regions means construction must progress while the corridor remains operational. The renewal sees the road upgraded from single lane to dual or a triple lane road in either direction, as well as a new fly-over, greatly increasing capacity and ease of travel from Ghana's major port all the way to Burkina Faso. Working space is limited along much of the road, with the combination of live traffic and varied ground conditions placing significant pressure on accuracy, sequencing and safety. These constraints shaped the delivery strategy from the outset. Maintaining formation levels across such a long, narrow and heavily used corridor requires precise control of earthworks and paving, while the need to minimize rework and material waste is heightened by the logistical challenges of moving plant and aggregates through busy sections. Ensuring consistent quality across the full length of the project, despite the changing terrain and tight working windows, became one of the central engineering challenges. To support productivity, safety, and accuracy, contractor Inzag has incorporated digital construction technologies into its project workflows. The contractor has a long history of working with Topcon Positioning Systems, and the familiarity between the teams helped accelerate deployment, with digital solutions being implemented across graders, pavers and slipform machines. Upgrading surveying and site operations. Rather than introducing solutions as standalone tools, Topcon worked with Inzag to integrate systems into the project's wider workflow, providing a continuous digital thread from design through to grading and paving. Millimeter GPS (mmGPS), a high-precision machine control system, was applied to two motor graders and a slipform machine to achieve the millimeter-level accuracy required for earthworks and concrete applications. This level of precision has been particularly valuable in sections where traffic management leaves little room for adjustment, helping maintain consistent formation levels and reducing the need for corrective work reducing the amount of time operators need to spend on the road. The SmoothRide road resurfacing solution by Topcon supported the project across the full paving workflow too, combining 3D design data with GNSS positioning to maintain surface quality and laying speed even in areas where traffic flow and working space were tightly constrained. For the survey team, the shift to a fully digital workflow has been transformative. José Pinto, surveyor at Inzag, highlighted the impact on day-to-day operations: "The accuracy we achieve with mmGPS has changed the way we work. It gives us confidence in every measurement, even in difficult conditions, and it reduces the time we spend checking and rechecking levels. It allows us to focus on progress rather than corrections. Even at this early stage, the technology has already demonstrated strong potential to improve productivity, accuracy, and work efficiency." Leveling up skills on the ground. Topcon's specialists, including Luca Nocentini (Senior 3D Paving Application Specialist at Topcon), have been deeply involved in on-site installation, configuration and operator training. "Our goal is always to empower the contractor, not just equip them," said Luca. "From the first day on site, we worked side by side with Inzag's teams to ensure every system was optimized for their workflow. The commitment and professionalism of their operators made it a true partnership." "Topcon understands the realities of delivering a project of this scale," said José Teles, project manager at Inzag. "Their technology gives us the precision we need, but it's the consistency of their support that truly makes the difference. They don't just provide solutions but are also on hand for any additional support and invested in our success." Beyond its immediate performance benefits, the introduction of the positioning systems and workflow solutions has also influenced day-to-day working practices across the site, with teams embracing the new approach quickly and effectively. Reflecting on the experience so far, José said: "The transition to this new way of working has been smooth, and all the team members involved have adapted well to the change in work processes. The guidance and control provided by the system increases confidence in achieving the correct levels and contributes to a more controlled and efficient workflow." A long-term investment in national mobility. When completed in late 2029, the upgraded corridor will ease congestion around Ashaiman, reduce travel times between Tema and the northern regions, and improve the reliability of freight movement into Burkina Faso, supporting local communities, enhancing road safety, and reinforcing Ghana's position as a regional trade hub. For Inzag, the combination of advanced construction technology and a trusted partnership is enabling them to deliver a project of national significance with precision, efficiency, and resilience. For Ghana, it marks a major step forward in building the infrastructure needed to support a growing economy and a more connected future. Get Lidar News in your inbox. Weekly updates on lidar tech, geospatial industry news, case studies, and product reviews. The Lidar News Editorial Staff providing industry leading coverage of companies, events, announcements, product releases, and more.

Topcon Agriculture has unveiled new precision farming innovations at Agrishow 2026 in Brazil, aimed at expanding technology access across Latin America. The company introduced the CM-20 V Spray Controller for vineyard and orchard applications, now compatible with its Value Line Steering solution, enabling precision spraying for crops like coffee and citrus whilst reducing input waste. Topcon also launched the XR-1P receiver, a modular GNSS positioning system designed to bridge entry-level and high-performance precision agriculture solutions. Additionally, the company previewed a pre-commercial sugarcane yield monitoring solution developed specifically for Brazilian agriculture, offering real-time yield visibility to optimise harvester efficiency and logistics. The innovations target cost-effectiveness and accessibility across different crops, equipment types and farm sizes throughout the region.

Topcon Positioning Systems unveils innovative technologies at ConExpo/Con-Agg 2026. Reading Time: 5 mins read Topcon Positioning Systems has made a major product announcement at ConExpo/Con-Agg 2026, North America's largest construction trade show. Topcon Positioning Systems has announced new 3D machine control technologies, functionalities, and safety features for earthmoving and paving applications, as well as geomatic technologies for surveying and building construction applications. By connecting equipment, people, and processes, the new technologies are designed to increase productivity across applications and project phases through a centralised platform approach. "The industry continues to face shrinking margins, tighter specifications, and heightened sustainability expectations, and needs innovative approaches to complete projects on time, under budget, and with long-lasting results," Topcon executive vice president Murray Lodge said. "Industry professionals need high-accuracy, scalable solutions easily integrated into mixed fleets and varied workflows. A single-platform approach becomes essential, minimising downtime, reducing material waste, and maximising labor efficiencies across the entire project lifecycle. The Topcon innovations introduced at ConExpo reflect that connected platform approach." Machine control platform updates. Topcon's heavy construction equipment central platform is 3D-MC machine control software, designed for precise, real-time guidance and control for excavation, grading, paving, milling, and other earthmoving operations. New functionalities made possible through updated configurations for 3D-MC include: 3D-MC Edge is a new feature within the 3D-MC environment engineered to focus directly on a machine's cutting edge for enhanced accuracy and responsiveness. This configuration is ideal for machines performing general earthwork grading operations, such as wheeled tractor-scrapers, tow-behind scrapers, box blades, and push dozers. For municipalities and contractors with machinery that might not currently be equipped with machine control, this economical technology will put them closer to grade without undercutting or overfilling, saving finish-grading time and using machinery more efficiently. Excavator-focused updates with new functionalities for ease of use, safety, and productivity include: * Slope Control is a function that automatically adjusts the excavator bucket's tilt and rotation angles based on the digital design surface model. The system uses the 3D design to guide the attachment to the correct orientation, reducing operator fatigue from manual control, enabling faster completion of complex work, improving accuracy for better finish quality, maximising efficiency of the tilt rotator, and increasing uptime while reducing costly mistakes. * Hybrid Lock is a feature within 3D-MC that automatically switches between local positioning system, LPS, tracking using robotic total stations and global navigation satellite system, GNSS, tracking to maintain continuous, accurate machine guidance. It is designed to prevent downtime when the robotic total station briefly loses its line of sight to the prism - a common issue on active job sites where vehicles, equipment, or personnel can momentarily block the robot. Instead of halting work until tracking is restored, excavation continues uninterrupted. * Load weighing is an onboard weighing system for excavators designed to increase safety and reduce wear and tear on trucks and trailers. Weighing material as it is loaded in the truck supports even distribution, prevents overloading resulting in fines, and lowers fuel costs associated with dispatching trucks loaded below full capacity. The GTS-M1 robotic total station for machine control is a next-generation instrument that tracks a 360-degree prism mounted on heavy construction equipment for LPS. It is especially beneficial for precision-intensive applications, such as fine grading, milling, and paving for road construction, or in environments where satellite-based positioning is not feasible due to obstructed sky conditions, such as dense tree cover, tunnels, or similar job site conditions. The GTS-M1 is also a valuable part of Hybrid Lock functionality. Topcon Awareness System is an AI system utilising digital cameras mounted to construction vehicles to detect movement or obstructions that could cause an accident or conflict. Topcon Awareness System provides blind-spot detection with alerts sent to the operator and the cloud portal. The system has user-configurable zones of influence that help the operator avoid accidents and create records for accident analysis. Topcon Site Manager is the cloud management system for Topcon machine control construction solutions that enables remote control, data sharing, and work order creation for connected solutions. Functions include sending design data, retrieving measured productivity data, and creating work orders for granular follow-up on completed work. Currently, the software, which is compatible with ISO 15143-4, allows the user to connect their mixed fleets and weighing solutions. The LM-1000 load weighing system for aggregate handlers is a trade-approved onboard weighing system for all types of loaders, designed to increase safety and improve operational efficiency of the loading vehicles. Weighing material as it is loaded in the truck prevents overloading, reduces risk for those involved in machine management, and lowers fuel costs and tyre wear for loading machines. All loads and stockpile movements are tracked and recorded for robust accounting, reported in Site Manager. Topcon Origo, the latest addition to the Capture Reality 3D mass data solution portfolio, is a spatial-positioning system for interior building layout. It uses localisation and reusable spatial reference maps to acquire real-time position as easily as with the current layout methods of optical or laser equipment. The handheld system mounts the scanner and controller to a single rover pole for easy movement on a job site, as there is no need for calibration or levelling. "Topcon Origo provides a reliable fixed origin for even the most complex interior environments," said Neil Vancans, head of Topcon's geomatics unit. "Using reference-map-based positioning to overcome the line-of-sight limits of optical or laser equipment, Origo delivers a seamless workflow that ensures every point is placed as intended."